


In cahoots

by Pegship



Series: Castle Episodic [13]
Category: Castle
Genre: Episode Related, Episode: s06e14 Dressed to Kill, Gen, Wedding Planning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-06
Updated: 2014-02-06
Packaged: 2018-01-11 10:50:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1172175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pegship/pseuds/Pegship
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kate finds help planning the wedding, from an unexpected source. Spoilers for season 6, episode 14, "Dressed to Kill"</p>
            </blockquote>





	In cahoots

"Hi honey, I'm home..."

It was close to midnight when Castle entered his domicile, and he wasn't expecting any reply, so he was startled to hear Alexis' dulcet tones from the sofa.

"Hey Dad, how was your trip?"

"It was great. Productive," said Castle, dropping his bag and coat next to the door and coming over to kiss the top of his daughter's head. Flopping down next to her, he asked, "To what do I owe your rare but very welcome presence?"

"Using your washer, eating your food, reading your newspaper," she grinned. "The usual."

"I raised you right," he grinned back. At least she was only doing laundry for one, he thought, since she and Pi had parted ways. "Any time you get lonely in that little apartment of yours..."

"I'm not moving back in, Dad." She was giving him her dad-proof "I'm the grown-up here" look. "The lease is still in my name and I'm not going to break it."

Castle opened his mouth to argue, wheedle, cajole, object in some way, then remembered that where his daughter was concerned, resistance was futile. (Nine times out of ten.) He changed his tactics.

"Allow me to suggest that, once it runs out, you look for a nicer place. With a gated entry. And a doorman, if possible."

Alexis' expression relaxed. Disaster averted, Castle ventured a change of subject.

"So, I heard you and Kate got together while I was gone."

"Sunday brunch," said Alexis. "That diner down the street from her apartment. Good food and girl talk."

Now she was wearing a smirk worthy of her sire, and Castle wondered how worried he should be that his fiancee and his daughter, both independent women, had indulged in anything like girl talk in his absence.

"How worried should I be...?" he asked. Alexis laughed, but that wasn't reassuring.

"Not as worried as that time when Mom came to visit and you had a house full of redheads," she said slyly. "No, I think for your own good I'll let Kate fill you in on the details. Whoops, is that the laundry buzzer?"

She hopped up and ran upstairs, and Castle whipped out his phone and called Kate.

"Hey," she said, and he could hear her smile...but he didn't have time or patience to bask in the sound.

"Hi, what were you and Alexis discussing the other day at lunch, she said you'd fill me in?"

"Gee, Castle, miss me much? It's been a whole five days, not that I'm counting..."

"We were just sexting this morning, Kate, come onnnn..."

Cajoling and wheedling made Alexis dig her heels in harder; Kate just found him hilarious.

"But prolonging the suspense is your stock in trade, isn't it, writer boy? You can dish it out but you can't take it?"

She was chuckling and Castle was ever so slightly sheepish.

"Kate, I love you. I missed you. I can hardly wait to hold you in my arms - in fact, I think I'll head over there right now - "

"Oh, all right, already, hold your horses!" she laughed. "You remember the conversation about the wedding, and my mom, and the whole planning anxiety?"

"Of course," said Castle, sobering. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Actually, you already have," said Kate. "You raised a daughter with a head on her shoulders. One she's going to use to my advantage. Our advantage."

"Okay...I'm confused. Alexis does indeed have an impressive mind, but how does that - ?"

"I can't do this on my own," Kate said softly. "Apart from the emotional aspects of planning a wedding, the logistics are mind-boggling, especially as I'm working full-time. Unless you've changed your mind about eloping."

"Absolutely not. I want to show the world just how lucky a guy I am to have found you." That was the unexaggerated truth, as was his next comment: "Besides, mother would kill me."

"True. Well, you can breathe a sigh of relief. Alexis is going to help."

Castle blinked. He didn't really think of Alexis as an organizer of anything apart from her own life (and his), but...

"That... makes an odd kind of sense," he said slowly.

"It does, right? She knows you better than anyone, she knows how to budget and schedule, she knows what we want. You should hear what she's already sketched out for the reception."

"You know that money's no object, right?"

"That's not the point, Castle. The point is, I've lived on a budget my whole life, and giving me free rein to spend - well, it's more daunting than inspiring. I didn't know where to start. You saw me with those fashion magazines Martha was poring over."

"Like a deer in the headlights," said Castle. "She has that effect on me, too."

"Alexis - like I said, she's got a head on her shoulders. She'll take into account both of our wishes and ways and help us come up with a happy medium. If she gets overwhelmed she promises to tell me and we'll find some other way to do this."

 _And Alexis won't hesitate to smack me over the head with a rolled-up newspaper if I get out of line_ , Castle thought. _Brilliant._

"Castle?" Kate said.

"Soooo....I guess we're not getting married in space, then?"

His love laughed. "Now that I have Alexis to back me up, you really think you have a shot at that?"

"Outmaneuvered and outgunned," said Castle gleefully. "On both sides."

"You love it, Castle."

"Always."


End file.
